Goulamina lithium project in Bougouni: "Leo Lithium" accused of discrimination
Barely launched, Malian executives are victims of discrimination and disregard for local content by operator Leo Lithium limited at the Goulamina mine in Bougouni. Expatriates are being imposed on and given preferential treatment over national executives. The authorities are being called to account. The working environment is polluted at the Goulamina mine due to a practice of discrimination that does not say its name. According to a local source, all the company's important decisions are taken without consultation or the opinion of local Malian managers. What's even funnier in this situation, according to our information, is that these decisions are imposed on them by the administration. As a reminder, at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Goulamina project, Leo lithium Chairman and CEO Simon Hay pledged to make local content an absolute priority. However, it is clear that the company attaches no importance to local content, as illustrated by the attitude of the project manager, Bolaji Okabajo, an Englishman of Nigerian origin, towards local staff. And that, say some workers, is a threat to continued operations. Just recently, some twenty South Africans arrived on site to replace Malian managers for a two-year period."Since Mr. Akabajo's arrival, he has done everything in his power to undermine the position of Malian managers, with the aim of entrusting all positions of responsibility to expatriates, who are paid exorbitant salaries (more than 10 times higher than nationals)", reveals a worker at Goulamina. According to our interviewee, this unorthodox practice on the part of the director has been going on for some time. All of which calls on the country's highest authorities to address these serious obstacles, which do not rhyme with the concepts of a new Mali where the interests of Mali and Malians must be a priority, as indicated by the head of the transition, Colonel Assimi Goita.The Leo lithium limited project at Goulamina covers an area of 100 km2 in the Bougouni region.
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